Almost every Filipino has two mobile phone lines, it has been this way for almost 4 years but it was only last year that dual SIM capable smartphones started hitting the market. Lenovo, one of the pioneers of the I.T. market but a relatively new player in the mobile phone scene launched its new line of mobile phone last year to much fanfare. Part of their new mobile phone group is the Lenovo A60, a dual SIM Android phone that’s priced at Php 7,950.
Specifications:
OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Processor: 650 MHz MT6573 Processor
Display: 3.5″ Capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480 resolution
Wireless Connections: 3G, EDGE, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS
Memory: 220 MB Internal Memory
Connectors: micro USB port, micro SD slot (supports up to 16 GB micro SD card)
Camera: 3 MP back camera and VGA front facing camera
Price: Php 7,950
Inside the package: Lenovo A60, 1,500 mAh battery, micro USB cable, USB AC charger and stereo earphone with mic
Slim and simple, the Lenovo A60 carries with it an air of humility. It doesn’t try to be sexy nor does it try to be flashy, yet it does have that understated charm of an old school cellular phone. Playing with it invokes the feeling of nostalgia and familiarity. It might be that I’m used to smartphones from companies like HTC, Samsung and Apple, who constantly tries to one up each other in the style and design category, but I’m seriously digging the no frills design of the Lenovo A60. It feels reliable and comfortable, like my favorite pair of jeans.
Equipped with a 650 MHz processor, the Lenovo A60 won’t be breaking any speed records anytime soon. While Android 2.3 (also known as Gingerbread) runs on the Lenovo A60, the performance is passable, just refrain from doing any heavy multitasking. Being an entry level device, the Lenovo A60 also has a paltry amount of internal memory, 220 MB to be exact. Luckily, the Lenovo A60 has a micro SD card slot which allows for more memory expansion.
As with most dual SIM phones, the Lenovo A60 can only have 3G data connection on one of the line, the other line is delegated to the inferior EDGE data connection. Not really a big deal as rarely is a person subscribed to multiple data subscriptions. Manipulating the double mobile line is standard fare; pop up menus prompts user as to which line they want to make a call or send SMS with while all incoming calls and SMS are aggregated into each of its appropriate list. Call quality on the Lenovo A60 is exceptional and signal reception is solid, I’ve experienced more signal problem with my iPhone than the Lenovo A60. Battery life is average, I started the day at 9 AM the phone conked out at around 5 PM, this was with the Lenovo A60 running with an always on data connection with around an hour’s worth of phone call with regular checking of email and FaceBook/Twitter.
The camera is nothing to write home about, the picture quality is on par with what you’d expect from a camera phone. It’s nowhere near as good as the iPhone 4S’ camera though. With ample lighting, photos taken using the Lenovo A60’s 3 MP camera has decent quality. On low light, forget about it, pictures are grainy as a sandbag.
Bottomline:
Lenovo is a rookie in the mobile phone market yet they have come out with a competent dual SIM Android phone which is reasonably priced. It’s not breaking any new ground or introducing any new technology, but it is a reliable and durable dual SIM Android phone which is good enough for most people.
Pros
- Reasonably priced
- Good set of features
- Decent and reliable performance
Cons
- Nothing particularly striking about the Lenovo A60
